This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary Korean red pine bark extract as an antibiotic replacements on cholesterol, fatty acids and the shelf-life of chicken meat. To accomplish this, chickens were fed the optimal level of red pine bark extract that was found to replace antibiotics in the diet of broilers. A total of 180 male broilers(Ross strain 308) were divided into three treated groups, T1(control group), T2(8 ppm of avilamycin) and T3(65 ppm of red pine bark extract per kg diet). The lipid content was reduced by 24.67% and 20.49% in T3 group, while the cholesterol level also decreased significantly in the T3 group by 20.49% and 20.55% when compared to the T1 and T2 groups, respectively. In addition, the saturated fatty acid level was lower in the T3 group than in the T1 and T2 groups, while the unsaturated fatty acid level of the T3 group was significantly higher than those of the other groups. The TBARS value of chicken thigh muscle containing its skin on the 7th day of low temperature storage was significantly lower by 23.86% and 21.17% in the T3 group than in the T1 and T2 groups, respectively. Evaluation of the color of the meat revealed that the L*value (lightness) and b*value(yellowness) were higher in the T3 group than in the T1 and the T2 groups, but that the pH was significantly lower in the T3. Based on the results of this study, the addition of 65 ppm red pine bark extract to the diet of broilers should improve their meat quality with respect to the lipid contents and shelf-life when compared to the addition of antibiotics.

• 박병성 | Park, Byung-Sung